Method of Playing Pai Gow Poker

ABSTRACT

The invention is an improved version of poker wherein the house collects no commission or percentage of the winnings from the dealer-player or other players. Instead, the players place initial ante bets, review their dealt seven card hands, and determine whether they want to continue playing. If the player wishes to continue, the player places an additional bet, which matches the initial ante bet. If the player does not wish to continue, the player folds and loses the ante bet. The house has no need to charge a commission because it makes money by collecting the forfeited antes.

BACKGROUND

Poker is one of the world's most popular casino games. As a result, manyvariations of poker have been invented by poker enthusiasts. One versionis Pai Gow poker, which uses a standard 52-card deck, plus a joker. Itis played on a table set for six players, plus the dealer. Each playerattempts to defeat the banker (who may be the casino dealer, or one ofthe other players at the table).

The object of Pai Gow poker is for a player to create two poker handsout of the seven-card hand the player is dealt by the dealer: afive-card hand, and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand's valuemust exceed the two-card hand's value. The two-card hand is often calledthe “low” hand. The five-card hand is called the “high” hand (becausethe five card hand must be higher or stronger than the two card hand).The strength of each hand is determined by using standard pokerrankings. For the two card hand, only high card, (typically the Ace), orpairs, are used to determine the hand strength. Straights and Flushesare meaningless.

In Pai Gow poker a standard card deck, plus one joker, are shuffled, andthen dealt to the table in seven face-down piles of seven cardsper-pile. The remaining four cards are discarded. Betting positions areassigned a number from one to seven, starting with whichever player isacting as banker that hand, and counting counter-clockwise around thetable. Preferably, a number from one to seven is randomly chosen(electronically), but if the number is chosen manually (with dice),three dice are used to output a number between 3 and 18. Whatever numberis rolled, the position before that number is the starting point. Forexample, if the dice comes out to 3, the starting point is position two.If the dice comes out to 16, the starting point is position one. If a 6is rolled, the starting point is position five. The dealer is positionsone, eight, and fifteen.

Although six players, plus a banker, may play, the game may be played byas few as one player, plus a banker. All players who are playing mustplace a bet or wager in front of them before they are given their sevencards.

After receiving their seven cards, the players organize the cards intothe two and five card hands. Similarly, the banker organizes the cardsinto two and five card hands. If the banker is a house dealer, thebanker's hand is organized with the “house way.” The cards are thenrevealed. If both of the player's now-separated hands beat the banker'scorresponding hand then he wins the bet. If only one of his hands beatsthe banker, and the other does not, then he pushes. If both of his handslose to the banker then he loses.

On each hand, ties go to the banker (for example, if a player'sfive-card hand loses to the banker and his two-card hand ties to himthen he loses); this gives the banker a small advantage. If the playerfouls his hand, meaning that his low hand outranks his high hand, orthat there are an incorrect number of cards in each hand, there will bea penalty: either re-arrangement of the hand according to house rules orforfeiture of the hand.

In casino-banked games, the banker is generally required to set his handin a pre-specified manner, called the “house way”, so that the dealerdoes not have to implement any strategy in order to beat the players.When a player is banking, he is typically free to set the hand howeverhe chooses; however, players have the option of “co-banking” with thehouse, and if this option is chosen, then the player's hand must also beset in the “house way.”

Play begins when players make a wager. Next, all the wagered players,and the banker, receive seven cards. A roll of the dice or a randomlygenerated number determines which player gets the first set of cards.Each player then arranges his seven cards into a five-card hand and atwo-card hand. The five-card hand is ranked as in poker. The two-cardhand is scored by pairs beating two singletons, then by the individualranks. The highest two-card hand is a pair of aces, and the lowest isTwo-Three.

After each player has arranged his hand, the banker arranges hisaccording to a set of fixed rules known as the “house way.” Then theplayer's five-card hand is compared to the dealer's five-card hand, thehigher hand wins. Likewise, the player's two-card hand is compared tothe dealer's two-card hand. In the event of an exact match betweenhands, called a copy, the tie goes to the banker. If the player beatsthe dealer with both hands the player wins even money on his bet, less acommission. If the player wins one hand and loses one hand, then the betis a push, or a tie, and the player gets the wager back. If the playerloses both hands, then the player loses the entire wager. The commissionensures that the casino or house makes a cut when the banker is anotherplayer.

When setting the hands, the two-card hand must be lower or worse thanthe five-card hand. If the two card hand is higher or better than thefive card hand, then both hands are deemed “foul” and both lose. Thejoker is usually only used to complete a straight, flush, or straightflush; otherwise it is treated as an ace. When used in a flush, thejoker takes the rank of the highest unused card.

One of the deficiencies to the standard Pai Gow poker game is that itfrequently is a slow paced game. This slow pace results primarily fromtwo sources. First, the flow of the game is slowed and interrupted whenthe house takes a commission from the player's winnings. Second, pushes,and thus slow paced games, are frequent because players often only winone of the two hands that are played. What is needed is a method for animproved game of Pai Gow poker that reduces pushes and eliminatescommissions.

Several variations on Pai Gow poker have strived to overcome thedeficiencies of the standard Pai Gow poker game. One such variation isdisclosed in United States Patent Application Publication 2007/0170653,filed by Brunelle et al. Brunelle discloses a variation of Pai Gow pokerthat allows a player to make a supplemental bet following arrangement ofthe player cards, but before arrangement of the dealer cards. AlthoughBrunelle's variation of Pai Gow poker allows a player to make asupplemental bet, it fails to remove the need for a commission to becharged because the supplemental bet is not mandatory and because theinitial bet is not forfeited to the house in place of paying acommission on winnings. Indeed, Brunelle's version of Pai Gow pokersimply does not allow the player to fold; it merely allows the player tochoose to make a supplemental bet. Therefore, Brunelle's variation ofPai Gow poker does not eliminate the need for a commission and does notreduce the number of pushes that occur.

Another variation of improved Pai Gow poker games, disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,871,855, issued to Ko, describes a commission free Pai Gowpoker game that compares the banker and player hands to each other andto a standard. If the standard is met by the banker hand, the playerpays additional money. Although the Ko variation eliminates the need fora commission it does so in a way that actually slows down the game evenmore because it requires an extra comparison and determination and anadditional payout after that determination. Further, the Ko solutiondoes not involve the player in the solution and, thus, the solution addsno fun for the players.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,424, issued to Evers et al., U.S. Pat. No.6,631,906, issued to Timpano, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,568, issued toFranklin, discloses ways to eliminate Pai Gow Poker pushes. Eversdiscloses an improved method of playing Pai Gow wherein the pushes areeliminated because, if a player and banker are in a traditional push,the player wins if her hand is higher than a predetermined hand, and thebanker wins if the player's hand is lower than a predetermined hand.Although Evers eliminates pushes and likely speeds up the pace of thePai Gow poker game, this improvement is utterly arbitrary and offers noopportunity for the player to strategize. As such, the Evers' improvedgame of Pai Gow poker heavily favors the house and is unlikely to beplayed by players. Additionally, The Evers' improvement fails toeliminate the need for commission.

Timpano discloses an improved method of playing Pai Gow wherein asupplemental wager is used to resolve pushes. Although this supplementalwager does resolve pushes, the supplemental wager itself slows the gamedown and Timpano fails to eliminate the need for commission.

Franklin discloses an improved method of playing Pai Gow wherein athird, three card poker hand is also made from the 7 cards dealt to eachplayer. Because the players and the banker compare three hands, nopushes are possible. Although adding a third hand to the game doesindeed solve the push problem, Franklin fails to eliminate the need forcommission.

Thus, what is needed is an improved game of Pai Gow poker that iscommission free, reduces the number of pushes, offers the playersadditional opportunities to strategize, and speeds up the pace of theplay of the Pai Gow poker game.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize otherlimitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding thepresent specification, the present invention discloses an improvedmethod of playing Pai Gow poker.

One embodiment of the invention is a method for playing an improved gameof Pai Gow poker, the steps comprising: placing a first bet by one ormore players; dealing a hand of seven cards to the one or more playersand a banker; wherein the one or more players review the hand of sevencards and determine whether to continue playing or folding; wherein theone or more players continuing to play place a second bet, and whereinthe folding players forfeit the first bet and wherein the foldingplayers hand of seven cards is discarded; wherein a house collects theforfeited first bets; arranging the hand of seven cards into a five cardhigh hand and a two card low hand by the banker and by the one or moreplayers continuing to play; exposing the hands of the banker and of theone or more players continuing to play; determining a winner between thebanker and the one or more players continuing to play based on astandard rules of Pai Gow poker; wherein the winning banker collects thefirst bet and the second bet from one or more losing players continuingto play; wherein the winning players continuing to play collect an evenmoney payout to the first bet and the second bet from the banker; andwherein the house collects no commission or percentage of the even moneypayouts. The second bet is identical to the first bet. The improved gameof Pai Gow poker is preferably played as a casino table game.

Another embodiment of the improved game of Pai Gow poker is played as anelectronic game, wherein the electronic game has a display, a playerinterface, a processor, and a payout interface.

An object of this invention is to overcome the limitations of the priorart.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved game of PaiGow poker that is commission free and wherein no percentage of theplayers' winnings is collected.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved game of PaiGow poker that may be played as a casino table wager game or may beplayed as an electronic wager game.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved game of PaiGow poker that reduces the number of pushes and speeds up the pace ofplay of the Pai Gow poker game.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved game of PaiGow poker that offers players additional opportunities to strategize,which enhances the fun of the game.

The present invention is an improved variation of Pai Gow poker, whereinthe improvement includes allowing the players to view their hands anddecide whether to continue or to fold. If a player decides to fold, thatplayer's initial wager, or ante, is forfeited to the house or casino. Inthis manner, the casino will collect the forfeited antes in place ofcollecting a commission. If a player decides to continue playing, theplayer must place a second wager, or check bet. Once this second wageris placed, the improved game of Pai Gow poker is concluded in a manneridentical to the standard game of Pai Gow poker.

These, as well as other components, steps, features, objects, benefits,and advantages, will now become clear from a review of the followingdetailed description of illustrative embodiments, the accompanyingdrawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The drawings disclose illustrative embodiments. They do not set forthall embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead.Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save spaceor for more effective illustration. Conversely, some embodiments may bepracticed without all of the details that are disclosed. When the samenumeral appears in different drawings, it is intended to refer to thesame or like components or steps.

FIG. 1 is a detailed illustration of the table layout used in playingthe improved game of Pai Gow poker of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram representing the flow of play in the game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments are now discussed. Other embodiments may beused in addition or instead. Details that may be apparent or unnecessarymay be omitted to save space or for a more effective presentation.Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the detailsthat are disclosed.

FIG. 1 is a detailed illustration of the table layout used in playingthe improved game of Pai Gow poker of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1 the table layout for playing the improved Pai Gow poker of thepresent invention includes a rounded table 1 at which six players and adealer may gather. Each player has a designated location to place thefive card high hand 5 and the two card low hand 8. FIG. 1 shows how thetable has an identification area “P B” 15, wherein each player ispreferably marked as either a “P”, for player, or a “B” for banker.Further, FIG. 1 shows that each player's area has a designation number20 that allows the play, shuffles, dealings, and bet orders to betracked. Additionally, each player has two wagering areas, bet 30 andcheck 40. Bet 30 is the first or initial bet and is also known as theante bet. Check 40 is the second or additional bet and is also known asthe check bet. Area 50 is where the dealer operates and displays cardsif the dealer is acting as a house banker. Finally, FIG. 1 shows fold60, which is where players who are folding discard their cards to letthe dealer know that they are forfeiting their bet 30.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram representing the flow of play in the game. Asshown in FIG. 2, the improved game of Pai Gow poker typically starts byproviding, preparing, and shuffling a standard Pai Gow poker deck ofcards 200. The standard Pai Gow poker deck is fifty-two cards plus ajoker. The Players then place a first bet 202. The cards are dealt andeach wagering player and the banker or dealer receive a seven card hand204. Preferably there is at least one player and one banker. The bankermay be another player or the banker may be a house dealer. If the bankeris a house dealer, up to six players may play at the same time. Theplayers review their hands and decide whether to fold or continue 206.Players that fold forfeit their first bet to the house and their cardsare discarded 208. Players that continue must place a second bet.Preferably this second bet is identical to the first bet 210. Steps 206,208, and 210 are important improvements to the standard game of Pai Gowpoker, and until the present invention, have never been part of any PaiGow poker game. The seven card hands of the players that continue andthe seven card hand of the banker are sorted into a five card high handand a two card low hand and exposed 212. The players' hands are comparedto the banker's hand and a winner, between the banker and each player,is determined by the standard rules of Pai Gow poker 214. If the bankerwins, she collects both the first and second bet. If the banker andplayer push, the first and second bets are returned to the player. Ifthe player wins, she collects even money on both the first and secondbets 216, and in addition, the player's first and second bets arereturned. Preferably, when the player wins, no commission on thewinnings, from either the first or the second bet, is collected 218.

Because players are likely to fold if they have a bad hand, this speedsup the play of the game by eliminating the need to compare the foldingplayers' hands with the banker's hand. Additionally, because players mayfold unless they have a fairly strong hand, the number of pushes thatoccur will be reduced. Finally, because no commission will need to becalculated or paid, the payout portion of the Pai Gow poker game isstreamlined and more efficient.

As with most table casino wagering games, this improved game of Pai Gowpoker can also be embodied in an electronic wagering apparatus. Theelectronic embodiment of the present invention preferably has a display,a processor, a payout apparatus or mechanism, and a player interfacethat both accepts wagers and allows a player to fold or place a secondbet and continue. Preferably, the electronic embodiment of the presentinvention has a high resolution audio/visual display; accepts cash,tokens, and electronic or other types of magnetic cards for payment; andhas manual, electronic, or touch screen buttons or other interfaceswitches.

Although the present invention is preferably combined with the standardPai Gow poker game, it may also be combined with other variations of PaiGow poker.

The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages thathave been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, nor thediscussions relating to them, are intended to limit the scope ofprotection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated.These include embodiments that have fewer, additional, and/or differentcomponents, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages. Thesealso include embodiments in which the components and/or steps arearranged and/or ordered differently.

Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions,magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in thisspecification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, notexact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistentwith the functions to which they relate and with what is customary inthe art to which they pertain.

Nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should beinterpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature,object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless ofwhether it is recited in the claims.

The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow.That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as isconsistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in theclaims when interpreted in light of this specification and theprosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural andfunctional equivalents.

1. A method for playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker, the stepscomprising: placing a first bet by one or more players; dealing a handof seven cards to said one or more players and a banker; wherein saidone or more players review said hand of seven cards and determinewhether to continue playing or folding; wherein said one or more playerscontinuing to play place a second bet, and wherein said folding playersforfeit said first bet; wherein a house collects said forfeited firstbets; arranging said hand of seven cards into a five card high hand anda two card low hand by said banker and by said one or more playerscontinuing to play; exposing said hands of said banker and of said oneor more players continuing to play; determining a winner between saidbanker and said one or more players continuing to play based on astandard rules of Pai Gow poker; wherein said winning banker collectssaid first bet and said second bet from one or more losing playerscontinuing to play; and wherein said winning players continuing to playcollect an even money payout to said first bet and said second bet fromsaid banker.
 2. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gow pokerof claim 1, wherein said house collects no commission on, or percentageof, said even money payouts.
 3. The method of playing an improved gameof Pai Gow poker of claim 2, wherein said second bet is identical tosaid first bet.
 4. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gowpoker of claim 3, wherein said improved game of Pai Gow poker is playedas a casino table game.
 5. The method of playing an improved game of PaiGow poker of claim 1, wherein said banker does not have a qualifyingminimum hand; and wherein said winning players continuing to playcollect an even money payout to said first bet and do not collect onsaid second bet from said banker.
 6. The method of playing an improvedgame of Pai Gow poker of claim 2, wherein said second bet is double saidfirst bet.
 7. A method for playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker,the steps comprising: placing a first bet by one or more players;dealing a hand of seven cards to said one or more players and a banker;wherein said one or more players review said hand of seven cards anddetermine whether to continue playing or folding; wherein said one ormore players continuing to play place a second bet, and wherein saidfolding players forfeit said first bet; wherein a house collects saidforfeited first bets; wherein said banker reviews said banker hand ofseven cards and determines whether said banker hand of seven cards is aqualifying hand; wherein if said banker does not have said qualifyinghand, then said banker without said qualifying hand pays said one ormore players continuing to play on said first bet; arranging, if saidbanker has said qualifying hand, said hand of seven cards into a fivecard high hand and a two card low hand by said banker and by said one ormore players continuing to play; exposing said hands of said banker andof said one or more players continuing to play; determining a winnerbetween said banker and said one or more players continuing to playbased on a standard rules of Pai Gow poker; wherein said winning bankercollects said first bet and said second bet from one or more losingplayers continuing to play; and wherein said winning players continuingto play collect an even money payout to said first bet and said secondbet from said banker.
 8. The method of playing an improved game of PaiGow poker of claim 7, wherein said second bet is double said first bet.9. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker of claim 7,wherein said banker and said one or more players continuing to play pushif neither wins both said five card high hand and said two card lowhand.
 10. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker ofclaim 7, wherein said improved game of Pai Gow poker is played as acasino table game.
 11. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gowpoker of claim 7, wherein said house collects no commission on, orpercentage of, said even money payouts.
 12. The method of playing animproved game of Pai Gow poker of claim 7, wherein said banker has saidqualifying hand; wherein at least one of said one or more playerscontinuing to play has an ante bonus qualifying hand; and wherein saidone or more players continuing to play with said ante bonus qualifyinghand collect a scaled first bet bonus payout to said first bet.
 13. Themethod of playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker of claim 12, whereinsaid ante bonus qualifying hand is a Full House or better.
 14. Themethod of playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker of claim 13, whereinsaid ante bonus qualifying hand is selected from the group consisting ofsaid Full House, a Four of a Kind, a Straight Flush, a Royal Flush, anda Five Aces.
 15. The method of playing an improved game of Pai Gow pokerof claim 14, wherein said scaled first bet bonus payout of said FullHouse is one to one, wherein said scaled first bet bonus payout of saidFour of a Kind is two to one, wherein said scaled first bet bonus payoutof said Straight Flush is five to one, wherein said scaled first betbonus payout of said Royal Flush is ten to one, and wherein said scaledfirst bet bonus payout of said Five Aces is fifty to one.
 16. The methodof playing an improved game of Pai Gow poker of claim 15, wherein saidqualifying hand of said banker is a pair of Nines or better.